What to Know
- An MBTA Blue Line train lost power on Thursday morning, forcing about 350 commuters to evacuate by walking out on the tracks.
- The MBTA lost power to the third rail on the westbound track between Maverick and Aquarium stations just before 8:30 a.m.
- During the outage, about 25 shuttle buses were offered between the Maverick Station and Government Center.
Commuters on the MBTA's Blue Line experienced substantial delays Thursday morning after a train lost power and hundreds of riders were forced to evacuate by walking out on the tracks.
MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said about 350 passengers were walked from the train to the emergency exit adjacent to Maverick Station. He said the train had just departed Maverick when power was disrupted.
None of the passengers required medical attention.
Pesaturo said the MBTA lost power to the third rail on the westbound track between the Maverick and Aquarium stations just before 8:30 a.m. Power was restored around 10 a.m. and Blue Line service resumed around 10:40 a.m.
Passengers said on social media that they were evacuated from the trains on foot.
"#mbta #blueline train stuck underneath the harbor, passengers being evacuated and walked along the tunnel," commuter Ryan Mahan said on Twitter. "The third rail has no power, there was a pop and a flash as the train entered Maverick station."
"Underground parade for blue line riders!" added Erinn Larson. She later said that MBTA employees were asking riders to put their phones away and stop taking photos.
Passengers tell NBC10 Boston there were some tense moments down in the tunnel.
Ryan Mahan took photos capturing capturing the hundreds who evacuated the Blue Line train just seconds into their trip. He says he took the pictures after he saw the train run into trouble before it even left the station.
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"In the back of my head I was saying, don't get on that train," Mahan said. "It was a pop that I had heard and then a flash against the back wall. It was kind of like a spark had jumped from the train to the third rail."
Moments later, the rest of the ride was derailed when they suddenly lost power, temporarily closing the route and forcing commuters to find another one.
Many relied on a shuttle service.
During the outage, single track operation was in place between the Government Center and Airport stations and about 25 shuttle buses were offered as an alternative between East Boston and Government Center. Buses were phased out once Blue Line service resumed.
"I'm over an hour late," one commuter said.
"It's annoying I have to be there at a certain time," another woman said.
For those riding the train, it was a commute they wish they had missed.
"Kind of nerve wracking. Everyone on the train, you could feel the tension, and the nervousness," Mahan said.
The cause of Thursday's power outage is under investigation.
This is the second time this week that the MBTA's Blue Line has experienced major power problems. On Tuesday morning, the Blue Line was temporarily forced to operate on a single track due to a power issue.
